1955 traffic levels

[SteveA30]

If traffic is now down to 1955 levels, this provides a unique chance to see a past where mid 50's traffic operated on a system with a motorway network, many bypasses and much dualling. Clearly, far more capacity than would have been needed then. So, at what point did the increase in traffic and improvements to the road network combine perfectly, exactly matching each other? Traffic levels increased I assume faster than the improvements so, about 1970 for optimum
synchronicity perhaps?

The M1 seemed very quiet in the early 60's so was under capacity I assume. Are there AADT stats for that time? How much was the A5 and A6 carrying in summer 59, compared to the M1 in summer 60?

[RJDG14]

I believe that roads are generally built for the expected capacity that they'll have 10-30 years later. I'd have said that the original D3 M1 was at its designed capacity during the 1970s or 1980s, though other motorways built between the 1950s and early 1970s such as the M6 through Cumbria (in its case built around the early 1970s) are still at their designed capacity today.

[KeithW]

As serendipity would have it I came across the the following document on the US Internet archive yesterday in pdf form.

The London-Birmingham Motorway
TRAFFIC AND ECONOMICS
Part I. Traffic Investigation
by
T. M. Coburn, B.Sc., Road Research Laboratory
Part II. Economic Assessment
by
M. E. Beesley, Ph.D., B.Com., University of Birmingham
and
D. J. Reynolds, B.Sc.(Eoon-), Road Research Laboratory

The easiest way to find it is with this search
https://archive.org/search.php?query=Lo ... 20Motorway

It was published in 1960 but clearly based on research carried out in the 1950's and is looking at what is now the M1 and M45/A45 - NOT the M6

There are some assumptions in there that will raise the eyebrows of the modern driver starting with speed.

They were looking at 3 alignments. Alignment 3 - the fastest assumed the following average traffic speeds
Car - 53 mph, Light Goods - 52 mph, Medium Goods - 47 mph, Heavy Goods (over 3 tons unladen) - 42 mph

Table 4 on Page 19 lists average speeds between London and Birmingham via existing routes for different vehicle types, for cars they were as follows
A5/A45 - 30 mph, A41 - 44 mph, A40 41 mph

Table 5 has the estimated daily number of journeys on the heaviest trafficked section of the new motorway for 1955

Car (leisure) 4210
Car (business) 5120
Light Goods 1290
Medium Goods 4600
Heavy Goods 3140
Coach 260

Table 7 lists the expected reduction of traffic on existing routes for 1955
A5/A45 -5500
A41 -1400
A40/A34 -600
A4/A423 -500
A6 -1000
A1 (via Stamford) -1100

There was very little if any allowance for traffic growth - the basic assumption was that the majority of the traffic on the new motorway would be diverted from existing routes,

The diagram on Page 38 shows estimated traffic flows for 1960. The most heavily used section was predicted to be between what are now J9 and J10 with a daily traffic flow of 19,800

At what is now the M1/M45 junction the predicted traffic flow for the two branches were
Dunchurch Bypass (M45) - 8,300
Crick Spur (M1) - 3,750

[SteveA30]

Fascinating, I forgot about the A41 as another major north/south route roughly paralleling the M1.
I'm thinking that 1972 may have been the year that traffic levels synchronised with the expanding road network, after the Birmingham M6 gap was closed and the English M4 completed in 71. Regional variations of course, the M5 had only reached Edithmead but with the Avonmouth bridge gap still to fill.

[Steven]

As serendipity would have it I came across the the following document on the US Internet archive yesterday in pdf form.

The London-Birmingham Motorway
TRAFFIC AND ECONOMICS
Part I. Traffic Investigation
by
T. M. Coburn, B.Sc., Road Research Laboratory
Part II. Economic Assessment
by
M. E. Beesley, Ph.D., B.Com., University of Birmingham
and
D. J. Reynolds, B.Sc.(Eoon-), Road Research Laboratory

The easiest way to find it is with this search
https://archive.org/search.php?query=Lo ... 20Motorway

It was published in 1960 but clearly based on research carried out in the 1950's and is looking at what is now the M1 and M45/A45 - NOT the M6

I have an original paper version of that, and it's a brilliant archival document. It's great that someone has done a PDF of it, as it's the sort of thing that's a complete pain to do!

And yes, the original plan was indeed to complete the Midlands Links via the M45 and south of Coventry, before heading north and meeting the present M6 line roughly around Coleshill.

[M5Lenzar]

Fascinating, I forgot about the A41 as another major north/south route roughly paralleling the M1.
I'm thinking that 1972 may have been the year that traffic levels synchronised with the expanding road network, after the Birmingham M6 gap was closed and the English M4 completed in 71. Regional variations of course, the M5 had only reached Edithmead but with the Avonmouth bridge gap still to fill.

What was the temporary route between the two sections of M5? A horrible slog on the A38 as always?

[JohnnyMo]

I believe that roads are generally built for the expected capacity that they'll have 10-30 years later. I'd have said that the original D3 M1 was at its designed capacity during the 1970s or 1980s, though other motorways built between the 1950s and early 1970s such as the M6 through Cumbria (in its case built around the early 1970s) are still at their designed capacity today.

The A1(M) in Cambridgeshire was built under a 30 year DBFO contract, growth projection at the time showed a reasonably chance that a D3(M) would be under capacity after 25 years of the contract and need expensive widening to see out the contract.

It was built as D4(M) as this was only marginally more expensive than D3(M) and removed the risk.

[Steven]

Fascinating, I forgot about the A41 as another major north/south route roughly paralleling the M1.
I'm thinking that 1972 may have been the year that traffic levels synchronised with the expanding road network, after the Birmingham M6 gap was closed and the English M4 completed in 71. Regional variations of course, the M5 had only reached Edithmead but with the Avonmouth bridge gap still to fill.

What was the temporary route between the two sections of M5? A horrible slog on the A38 as always?

Into Bristol and back out again.

[SteveA30]

The M5 was open to Avonmouth so, along the A4, over Cumberland Basin flyover and either up the A370 to WSM or A38 to Edithmead. The M5 was open from Gordano south so, A370 and A369 were alternatives. There was a signed route via widened lanes to Gordano as well, but, I haven't investigated that one yet, to see which lanes. Quite a complicated situation from 1970 to 1974.

[trickstat]

I suppose the one major difference between the traffic of 1955 and now would be the amount of long distance HGV journeys, which would be much greater now.

[millionmiledriver]

I would imagine there were no continental trucks in 1955 and no containers

[rhyds]

Also, there are other changes that widespread car ownership has enabled. For example most folks now live a fair way from their place of work, whereas back in the 50s "commuting" was very much an activity for those in the South/South East of England.

[Debaser]

I suppose the one major difference between the traffic of 1955 and now would be the amount of long distance HGV journeys, which would be much greater now.

Given that motorways were supposedly built to facilitate commercial HGV traffic, I think it's the massive volume of private cars and commuter traffic that's the major difference.

[trickstat]

I suppose the one major difference between the traffic of 1955 and now would be the amount of long distance HGV journeys, which would be much greater now.

Given that motorways were supposedly built to facilitate commercial HGV traffic, I think it's the massive volume of private cars and commuter traffic that's the major difference.

To clarify, by "now" I specifically meant during the current Coronavirus situation where the OP stated that traffic is at 1955 levels.

[KeithW]

I would imagine there were no continental trucks in 1955 and no containers

No containers but in In 1955 the Atlantic Steam Navigation company was running a RoRo service between Tilbury and Antwerp using a converted LST called the Empire Cymric and it could carry trucks. Photo is part of the Preston Digital Archive for details see
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rpsmithbarney/19840312214

[Glenn A]

Bear in mind in 1955, work on improving the country's most important road, the A1, had barely started and it was nearly all S2 from London to Edinburgh and extremely slow, even with the low amount of traffic on the road.

[Truvelo]

Bear in mind in 1955, work on improving the country's most important road, the A1, had barely started and it was nearly all S2 from London to Edinburgh and extremely slow, even with the low amount of traffic on the road.

To be pedantic a lot of it was S3.

[fras]

Bear in mind in 1955, work on improving the country's most important road, the A1, had barely started and it was nearly all S2 from London to Edinburgh and extremely slow, even with the low amount of traffic on the road.

To be pedantic a lot of it was S3.

Ah, yes, those trunk roads with a middle overtaking lane, (the suicide lane !). As I recall, the A4 was similar in a lot of places. That road is still there, but just painted for two lanes now, but wider than the old arrangement. Here's how they were, albeit this GSV view is for a painted RH turn, but miles and miles of trunk roads were like this.
https://www.google.co.uk/maps/@51.41396 ... 8192?hl=en

[roadtester]

There are some assumptions in there that will raise the eyebrows of the modern driver starting with speed.

They were looking at 3 alignments. Alignment 3 - the fastest assumed the following average traffic speeds
Car - 53 mph, Light Goods - 52 mph, Medium Goods - 47 mph, Heavy Goods (over 3 tons unladen) - 42 mph

Table 4 on Page 19 lists average speeds between London and Birmingham via existing routes for different vehicle types, for cars they were as follows
A5/A45 - 30 mph, A41 - 44 mph, A40 41 mph

Too right. It would be hard to achieve those averages with today's roadworks and traffic jams.

[Debaser]

I suppose the one major difference between the traffic of 1955 and now would be the amount of long distance HGV journeys, which would be much greater now.

Given that motorways were supposedly built to facilitate commercial HGV traffic, I think it's the massive volume of private cars and commuter traffic that's the major difference.

To clarify, by "now" I specifically meant during the current Coronavirus situation where the OP stated that traffic is at 1955 levels.

Aahh...understood.